Angel Eyes
by Kuramastrass
Summary: As Maya Kitijima rediscovers her past and her memory, she also rediscovers her love for the redheaded Shuichi. Though she accepts that being with him puts her in danger, he isn't willing to take that risk. But can Maya forget his beautiful angel eyes?


**Hey. This is the first thing I've finished typing without getting bored in a while… But I don't blame me, really. Things have been crazy and in general I haven't felt like typing (excluding IMing for some reason)… And Microsoft Word has been being stupid… It's really… stupid…**

**Yeah. But anyway.**

**For those of you who only watch the anime, Maya is most definitely **_**not**_** an OC. She's in the manga only. For those of you who haven't read your manga in a while, check the two-shot at the end of volume seven. You'll find her there… Maya Kitijima.**

**Forgive me if I'm in any way inaccurate… I didn't actually check and re-read the manga. I went by my memory. It makes things easier for me, and a little more fun.**

**This is a song-fic. to the song Angel Eyes (somewhat obviously), by ABBA. I don't care for the original, though. I like the techno/remix version better… There's a link to a video with each in my profile.**

**Kari is my OC. And please don't flame her. She doesn't have a major part, anyway... And she doesn't care for the flame, though she doesn't mind heat.**

**And that's all I have to say… Other than that I think we've tortured this poor man enough…**

**Yeah. I'm rambling. Sorry. Well, enjoy "Angel Eyes"! And review! How can I get any better if I don't know what you think?**

_Keep thinking… about his angel eyes… Keep thinking…_

Never… The sight of them never leaves my mind…

Such beautiful, beautiful eyes…

My Shuichi…

_- -_

_Last night, I was taking a walk along the river…_

He hadn't called for several days. Where was he? What was he up to? He had always called dutifully before, so his silence made me lonely, restless.

I couldn't sleep. It was a nice night, cool and crisp. I went for a walk, along the river.

_And I saw him together with a young girl._

Approaching the bend in the river, I looked a little ways ahead. I saw him standing there, my Shuichi, holding a smaller girl in his arms.

I blinked, not believing what I was seeing. Was that… his sister? My brown eyes widened. Yes, it had to be Kari. Who else was there that looked so much like him?

_And the look that he gave her made me shiver…_

I edged closer, trying not to attract their attention. I couldn't hear what he was saying, but I saw his lips moving. She watched him intensely, listening closely, absentmindedly tangling her fingers in his beautiful red locks.

I saw the look in his eyes as I moved even closer and involuntarily shivered.

_'Cause he always used to look at me that way._

That was the way he looked at me, that was the look in his eyes whenever he looked at me.

Yet, there was something different about it. The way he looked at me… there was love, passion, romance…

But this look he gave her…

This was lust, desire of the strongest kind.

_And I thought… Maybe I should walk right up to her and say…_

I took another step forward and then stopped, as I stepped far too loudly. They did not look surprised, or even nervous, though Shuichi was more alert now.

But I wanted to tell her what he thought of me. I wanted to warn her.

_It's a game he likes to play…_

I wanted to warn her that no matter what he may tell her or what she may think, that he wasn't there for only her.

There were so many girls who loved him, he had a choice of practically every girl the world had to offer. How many girls had he lead on to believe that he loved them?

"How many others have there been?"

_Look into his angel eyes… one look and you're hypnotized…_

They both turned to look at me standing where I was. Without my consent, my eyes drifted upward to meet his.

He called my name but I didn't hear it. I was too busy analyzing his eyes…

Such beautiful, beautiful eyes…

What did I see in his eyes? There was still love… and there was some hurt… some regret… and guilt.

I couldn't bear to keep looking. But even so, they were still such beautiful, beautiful eyes… I couldn't look away…

_He'll take your heart and you must pay the price._

"She's your _sister_!" I screamed, finally breaking away from his gaze.

_Look into his angel eyes… You'll think you're in paradise…_

"Maya."

I looked back up at him, silent.

And I was again trapped by his eyes.

I remembered how I used to feel when I was with him, how I felt when I would stare into his eyes.

It was bliss. It was paradise.

It was love.

Love…

_Then… one day, you'll find out he wears a disguise…_

"Maya, please, this isn't what I know it looks like."

Startled, I turned to look at Kari, who had spoken.

"How do you know what it looks like?" I asked, my voice low.

"How else can it look?" she answered with a sigh. She looked at me, testing me with her eyes. They were so like his, almost identical. No wonder boys were crazy about her.

"What is it, then?"

Her eyes continued their search, trying to decide how much to tell me, how much I would be able to take.

"Go. Let me talk to her."

We both turned to look at him. His voice seemed forced, but it was still calm.

"Are you sure?" She seemed genuinely surprised.

He slipped his arm from around her back to his side. "Yes."

"Hmn." She looked at him disbelievingly before she walked away.

"Maya," he said once she was out of hearing distance.

"I don't want to hear this, Shuichi!"

"Maya, please, let me explain."

I took a deep breath, trying to calm myself. I owed him at least that much.

"How much of your memory have you regained now?"

I thought. I was regaining my memory backwards, and he knew that. I had told him that.

"I'm almost to the sixth grade, now."

"Then you wouldn't recall that I am a demon."

"What?" My eyes widened. "You're… a…"

"Demon?" He smiled - almost a smirk. "Yes."

It hit me then, all of a sudden, that incident in the fourth grade...

A slime creature... an almost-human demon in black with a sword... a monstrous eight-handed creature...

- -

I had followed him as he went home... it was strange, the path he took. I didn't think he lived it that part of the city.

But then I saw him talk to that slime creature. It called him... What did it call him?

Kurama... or something like that.

- -

"Maya..." Shuichi... Kurama... called my name softly. No doubt he hadn't meant for me to hear, but I did.

- -

We walked home together... He had no idea of my feelings for him. He said he couldn't tell me of his feelings toward me, but I knew...

Before I could blink, he had grabbed me, saving me from the human-like demon... He was so fast...

Thinking it was safer for me, he lead him away, leaving me. I couldn't move.

I felt a hand on my shoulder. The person behind me - who I didn't recognize - said something about me being "perfect for Master Eight-Hands".

I saw the eight-handed monster...

- -

"Eight-Hands was... the name of the eight-handed creature?" I asked.

He nodded.

- -

The next thing I knew, Shuichi... Kurama... was carrying me on his back.

"Shuichi? Is this a dream?" I murmured.

"Yes... just a dream... that you won't remember when you wake up in the morning." He was silent, and then whispered, "You'll forget your feelings for me as well..."

What he said didn't bother me. "It... smells nice," I mumbled sleepily, closing my eyes and adjusting my head on his back.

"Dream-inducing pollen?"

I didn't recognize the voice, nor could I put a name or face to it.

"It's better this way," the one carrying me answered with a sigh.

"If you say so."

- -

I looked up at him now, straight into his eyes. This time, though, I was not held spellbound.

"Your name is... Kurama?" I asked. "Not Shuichi?"

"Shuichi is the name my mother gave to me," he answered with a small nod.

Smoke swirled around him, and soon, the one before me was no longer the redheaded human I knew. He was nearly a foot taller, with long, flowing silver hair. He had a beautiful tail and two ears like a Doberman's atop his head. His eyes were golden-hazel, and still beautiful, though they were no longer soft... they were cold, dangerous.

He was so lovely, I held my breath, and almost forgot to begin breathing again.

But the smoke reappeared and he once again became the redhead, just as lovely - and perhaps even more so - in his own way.

"Maya..." He took a step toward me. "You have to realize that by being near me, you are in danger."

"Everyone is always in danger," I pointed out. "You can't live your life being afraid."

He thought about my response for a moment. "That is true. But by being near me, you are in more danger than necessary."

"But..." I began to protest.

"Maya, I do care for you. I cannot ignore or deny that. But I believe that it is better for you if we are not together."

"And... your sister?"

"Kari?" He smiled. "She's what I am. She knows what our world is like. She knows that she's in danger. But you're human. You don't have to be."

"But..." I protested weakly.

He looked at me, smiling, triumphant.

"But... I want to be, if I have to be to be with you. I don't care."

"Maya..." he said with a sigh. He sounded exasperated, as though he was tired of trying to make me see reason. "She's already in danger. There's no need for both of you to be in danger."

"But..."

"I don't want to take that chance."

_Don't look too deep into those angel eyes..._

I simply stood there, silent. All in that instant the place around me hit my senses vividly. I could see every blade of grass blowing in the wind with such clarity, every mark and knob on the bark of every tree, every fold in the fabric of his clothing.

"Maya... I'm sorry."

_"I'm sorry."_

It hit me hard.

_"I'm sorry..."_

I didn't think. I turned and ran.

"Maya!"

I didn't stop for the one who had called my name. I was nearly blinded, handicapped by the tears forming in my eyes.

_Keep thinking… about his angel eyes… Keep thinking..._

I realize now that I could have handled the situation better. I could have been more elegant. But it hit me like a ton of bricks.

I also realize now that I shouldn't have put so much stock in him, shouldn't have become so attached.

Someone so perfect... how could it have ended any other way? I should have known he would break my heart in the end...

_Sometimes... when I'm lonely I'll sit and think about him..._

I don't know how he did it, but he always managed to find a way into my thoughts.

His stupid hair... his stupid eyes... I came to resent him for his beauty that I had once admired.

But I couldn't stop thinking about him. And really, I only resented him because I was bitter.

I would sit around and think of him, reminding myself of what it felt like to be loved...

_And it hurts to remember all the good times..._

I had felt loved for the first time in my life. No one else had made me feel as important as he had. No one had ever given me the time of day or treated me like he had.

He was the only person who actually treated me like I was one, the only one who acted as though he realized I existed.

_When I thought I could never live without him..._

I was almost addicted to him; I couldn't live without him. There was a small and constant fear that I would never see him again.

But he wasn't a drug; he was safer than that. He was my sunshine, my water, my air.

_And I wonder, "Does it have to be the same… every time?"_

Why couldn't I move on, move past him? I knew of many other girls with broken hearts, and they had all moved on.

All of them except me.

_When I see him... will it bring back all the pain?_

I saw him in school... I never noticed how inseparable he and Kari were.

But every time I saw him...

It hurt to look at him. Every time I thought I had gotten over him, I would see him again and sink deeper into my hurt.

I was also jealous, jealous of Kari, envying the attention he lavished on her and withheld from me...

- -

Ever since the accident, ever since I lost my memory, I had been having trouble with names.

But even so...

"Hey, Maya. You know Shuichi?"

_How could I forget that name...?_

"What about him?" I asked, trying to keep my voice as normal as possible.

"He keeps looking as you, like there's something wrong."

"No... there's nothing wrong," I lied. I had noticed it, too, but I hadn't thought about it. "I don't know why he would do that."

"Maybe he likes you."

I smiled half-heartedly. "Maybe."

But I had made up my mind. I would talk to him tonight. I had to.

- -

It was dark by the time I got out, late. But we both lived in a nice neighborhood. I didn't think about there being any danger.

I walked without watching where I was going. In my mind, I was rehearsing what I was going to say, trying to figure out how to begin.

Suddenly, there was a hand around my hand and waist and I was pulled roughly into an alley.

"Heh, heh..."

I could barely see the one holding me because of the darkness, but I could tell he wasn't human. My eyes widened as I saw him pull out a knife.

"Now... you die!"

I braced myself for pain, closing my eyes tightly. Though I waited, that pain never came.

I heard the sick sound of someone being stabbed, but I felt nothing other than the hands around me loosen.

When I opened my eyes and looked up, a small gasp escaped my lips.

Shuichi was standing over me.

He had taken the blow.

Where he had come from, I didn't know, but he was obviously hurt. From what I could tell, the blade had pierced both his heart and one of his lungs. Blood soaked his shirt near the wound.

"Shuichi!"

He tried to smile through his pain – it came out as a grimace. "I'll be all right," he said weakly.

"No! You're hurt!"

The one who had done it was gone, I noticed now. It was just the two of us, alone.

The only sound I could hear was his ragged, uneven breathing. Tears began forming in my eyes as I asked, "This was because of me… wasn't it?"

"No… It was… because of… me." He paused.

I didn't respond.

"This… low-class scum… that attacked you… wanted revenge. It had… nothing… to do… with you."

I heard a strange, strangled sound and realized that the demon was not gone, as I had thought. He was on the ground, trapped, ensnared by what appeared to be… vines?

"He was also… the cause of… your accident."

"All this… just because you love me?"

He grimaced again. "Unfortunately… yes."

We were both silent. Then he spoke again, his breathing heavier.

"I caught… his scent… on you… Very faint… but I knew… he was stalking you…"

_Look into his angel eyes… one look and you're hypnotized…_

"I knew… he would try again… to kill you…"

He looked directly into my eyes. It was easy to become lost in them, easy to forget he was hurt. But it was impossible to ignore the pain in his eyes, impossible to block out the horrid sound of his breathing.

_He'll take your heart…_

"Maya…" The word was almost impossible for him to make.

Half closing his eyes, he murmured something under his breath, probably something about Kari. But then he called my name again.

"Maya…"

_And you must pay the price._

His eyes closed, and he collapsed onto me. His weight nearly crushed me.

The sound of his labored breathing stopped.

"Shuichi, no!" I shrieked, knowing perfectly well that he couldn't hear me.

There was nothing I could do, nothing but clutch what was left of him to me and cry.

_Look into his angel eyes… You'll think you're in paradise…_

Under any other circumstance, this would be paradise.

But also under any other circumstance, he would still be breathing.

_Then… one day, you'll find out he wears a disguise…_

Just because he was a demon…

But he appeared to be human… he was as human as I was.

But underneath… he was something more dangerous… something hated…

_Don't look too deep into those angel eyes…_

After crying a while, I realized that I couldn't stay here. I had to do… something. But what, I wasn't sure.

I finally decided that I should probably tell his family.

I laid him down gently, brushing a few loose strands of hair off his face before I stood up. I noticed that the vines were slowly unwrapping themselves with a horrible stink.

I ran to his house. I ran without thinking, without feeling – I just ran.

Before I could even reach the door, Kari had come out to greet me. She looked around cautiously, then ran to me on the sidewalk. "Honestly, Maya, I'm amazed no one followed you… Such a potent scent…"

"Kari…"

"What?"

"Shu… Shuichi…"

The reality hit her, clearly shown in her shocked expression. "That's… that's… _his_ blood." She swallowed.

I glanced down at my shirt. I hadn't realized his blood had gotten on me. "He was… protecting me…" I could feel the tears begin welling up in my eyes again.

Tears were forming in her eyes, too. She grabbed my upper arms, barely restraining herself from shaking me. "Maya, this is why he told you you couldn't be together." Her voice was frantic, hysterical, almost a whine. "Something like this was bound to happen, don't you _see_?"

She turned and walked back into the house, and once she was there, I heard the dreaded sound of a wounded animal, the pitiful moan of a wild beast that has lost its mate.

I walked home, still upset, though somewhat guilty that she was so much more upset that I. And though it was somewhat malicious, I comforted myself with one thought.

He had died in my arms, not hers.

- -

I was both amazed and disgusted by the number of people that came to his wake. There was his mother… and Kari… and there were two friends of his. There were a few relatives (one, actually, said something to Kari that visibly upset her), and... strangely enough, there was the black-wearing demon from the incident in the fourth grade. Then there was me.

The majority of those who came, however, were his fangirls, who came only to mourn selfishly… because now that he was gone, they could never date him.

_Crazy 'bout his angel eyes…_

They had never really gotten to know him… They didn't truly love him, either, they merely wanted him… Wanted him for his beauty…

_Angel eyes…_

Once the fangirls had shown up, and people stopped focusing so intently on the front, I went to the casket. I had been uncomfortable about going up there with everyone watching me.

_He took my heart and now I've paid the price._

And I realized when I went up to the casket why I hadn't been able to move past him, why I was not able to move on.

They had never truly loved him... or any other guy, for that matter.

I had. I did.

_Look into this angel eyes… You'll think you're in paradise…_

_Then, one day… you'll find out he wears a disguise…_

_Don't look too deep into those angel eyes…_

Looking into his eyes… Such beautiful, beautiful eyes… there was nothing better than that, except perhaps maybe simply being with him.

There was a paradise hidden in his eyes.

But that was only on the surface. Such a paradise is not a haven or a bomb shelter. It cannot protect you.

Rather… it destroys you.

The deeper you look into his eyes, the more of yourself you lose. And the only cure is nearly impossible – the only cure is for you not to look into his eyes.

Perhaps he thought that knowing that he was a demon would scare me away… It made no difference to me. He was what he was – and he had always been the one I loved.

_Keep thinking…_

_Keep thinking… about his angel eyes…_

Such beautiful, beautiful eyes…

_Keep thinking…_

_Keep thinking… had to pay the price…_

And because of those eyes… not only did I lose him… I lost myself.

But the memory of them rarely leaves my mind…

Such beautiful, beautiful eyes…

And so I still continue to lose more and more of myself even though he's gone…

_Keep thinking… about his angel eyes…_

My Shuichi…

- Kuramastrass -


End file.
